Kauai Sea Tours — Attraction in Kauai

My wife and I booked a day trip on the Zodiac boat tour of the Na Pali coast. We had Jamie as a guide and Sean as a captain. Jamie was passionate about conservation and very well versed in the rich history and culture of the coastline which she conveyed into an enjoyable anecdotal guidance using the perfect blend of knowledge and humor. She was energetic and highly enjoyable. Sean was an amazing captain making our ride as smooth as possible in even the highest of surf. His throttle control was impeccable which made what should of been a bumpy motion sickness induced ride into a fun, rollercoaster-like ride but very manageable for even the most motion sickness prone individual! As we exited the bay we were greeted by a week old humpback whale playing alongside it's mother. Jamie explained that during these winter months the Pacific humpbacks travel down to Hawaii to birth and wean their offspring which we were lucky enough to have witnessed. After about another hour of travel in our zodiac dodging and surf riding some 20-30' rollers we arrived at the Na Pali coast where we were greeted by the most spectacular landscape one could imagine. With peaks rising to 4,100', it was a surreal feeling being dwarfed by the massive ledges, valleys and mountains. Again, Jamie submerged us into the rich history dating back as far as 500 AD. We were very fortunate to have the weather on our side as we were able to visit all 3 caves and even "shoot" into a cave to enjoy the open ceiling cave as Sean expertly timed the waves to make sure we were all safe. After this adrenaline inducing experience we safely exited to enjoy some of the most stunning views I've ever seen in my life. On our way home we saw a breaching humpback whale jumping higher than you would think such a massive mammal could jump making splashes that looked massive from a mile away. We approached with caution making sure we carefully stayed at least 300' away and watched as the whale waved at us and swam gracefully away. We continued on to our snorkel destination only to intercept the largest pod of spinner dolphins I've ever seen. As the dolphins played, swam and jumped around us, almost in a welcoming playful manner, we watched in awe. Sean explained to us that the way scientists calculate the size of the pod is to count the number of dolphins visible to the naked eye and calculate that number by 7. By my crude calculations, this pod was well over 500 dolphins perhaps containing more than one species. After watching the dolphins for a while we continued on to our snorkel destination. As Jamie and Sean both skillfully found our anchor bouy to tie off to I could help but think of how this trip could be any more amazing. Both Sean and Jamie were incredibly attentive to both beginner snorkelers as well as skilled snorkelers and gave a safety briefing. However, they watched over everyone with care and their number one concern was everyone's safety. As we all safely returned to the zodiac we were greeted with fresh fruit, cold beverages and deli sandwiches to enjoy under the sun. After lunch, Sean skillfully returned us to the bay, but not before a little more fun which consisted of playfully navigating the harbor bouys. This was by far the most entertaining, informative and fun excursion I've ever experienced. Thank you to both Sean and Jamie for an experience my wife and I will remember for the rest of our lives. Now for the obvious; a zodiac boat is an inflatable boat commonly used by the Navy seals, theres no protection from the sun and you are at the mercy of the sea conditions. If you are susceptible to motion sickness, plan accordingly. Otherwise, hang on to the ropes and prepare for an exciting and HIGHLY enjoyable day excursion. Thank you ten times over to Sean...

We took a Sunset Dinner cruise aboard the Lucky Lady with Capt. Amber, Jane, Josh, and Kamakuna. We had an amazing time! The crew was so outgoing and helpful. They constantly checked on each passenger to ensure everyone was comfortable and that their needs were met. The captain consistently monitored the wind/wave conditions and directed passenger activities accordingly. The crew offers to take passenger pictures with your personal phone. On that note, it’s a good idea to have a waterproof case AND strap. With all the wave action, you need to be able to hold a rail AND your phone simultaneously. We saw sea turtles and dolphins, even though the dolphin sightings were not expected during our time frame. The captain’s narration was very informative and entertaining. Weather was beautiful (although not controlled by the tour!) We enjoyed being at the front of the boat-guaranteed to not only get wet, but drenched, however that kept us cooler on a hot day! There is dryer seating on an upper deck, but little shade there. Shade and a dry storage area are inside the lower deck area as well as two “restrooms” typical of a vessel this size. We took Bromine when we left our resort and neither of us felt seasick the entire time, despite a few rough patches with waves. One passenger on our cruise got sick, but the crew was so sweet and helpful to her. The dinner was nothing fancy, but was yummy to us-juicy grilled chicken, white rice, salad with sesame ginger dressing (or garlic Parmesan,) roasted veggies, and a soft baked chocolate chip cookie for dessert. Water and soft drinks were brought around by the crew on a regular basis and when the captain officially opened the bar, adult beverages were distributed as well. (The crew DOES check I.D.) A huge cloud blocked the sun as it was setting, which was disappointing, but beyond anyone’s control, of course. I feel that the cruise was worth it even without the sunset we were hoping for! If you have any medical conditions which may require attention, bring your meds (epipen, insulin, etc.) and let the captain know. (They will ask before leaving.) Kauai Sea Tours has everything you may wish to purchase at the last minute before your cruise-sunblock, hat WITH strap, Dramamine, ginger chews, etc. There are restrooms accessible in the building with Kauai Sea Tours for before and after the cruise should you need to change...

We did the Imiloa Sunset Tour w/o Snorkeling on Sep 14th which overall left us with mixed feelings. Two stars for the friendly crew and the views which were indeed nice.

We ended up booking this spontaneously after a helicopter tour left us longing for more of the Na Pali coast.

The tour started off well and we sped relatively quickly towards the coast section. A single soft drink was handed out and given few very short stops were made, there was little chance to drink more and/or use the bathroom. (Very bumpy when the boat cruises at max. speed).

Once we reached the Kalalau beach section, the boat turned around and began the way back to the harbor - this felt overall a little rushed: quick stop, photo opp and back you go.

The frustration started on the way back when the boat just went full speed back to the harbor. Again dinner and drinks were handed out but given the captain made no attempt to stop it was nearly impossible to drink, or even eat let alone using the bathroom. Multiple guests refused the dinner altogether. The food itself was nice but rather snack-sized. It all felt needlessly rushed.

We ended up being back to the harbor ahead of sunset and actually needed to go past the bay to then turn around to not be too early back in. When we stopped for sunset I rushed for the toilet as they weren’t accessible for the past 4 hours or so.

The sunset itself was nice and given the bumpy ride back, I was surprised how calm the boat was in the water once the engines were off. This left me wondering why we didn’t at least stop or slowed down ~10 minutes or so for dinner as well?

Now I can fully understand that no one can influence the sea, weather and so on but what I found most frustrating is that there was absolutely 0 communication from the captain on the way back. This left us and many passengers guessing. It would’ve been so easy to just explain why we go back so fast or why we didn’t at least briefly stop for dinner, etc. but instead there was just silence for ~2 hours.

Again in concept a great tour and we have some great pictures and memories but very erratic execution from the...